It’s that time of the year again! Time to visit, have dinner, share gifts and catching up! This is when YOUR children are told to be on their best behavior! This is where you try to get out of your mind; that you know your kids are absolutely crazy and how dare you let them out of their world; into the crazy world of having Thanksgiving dinner with other people! The ones that don’t live with you, but they have asked throughout the year – “How’s things going?”

The truth is it’s chaotic! Your busy with the day to day stuff; that you can’t do everything – even though you think you are Super Mom or Super Dad! So the Thanksgiving Holiday is finally here and you now have keep your word on the dish you said you’ll bring and start prepping…your children! “Guys lets set some guidelines for dinner!”

“Be respectful, say PLEASE and say that little thing like Thank You…..a lot! And no fighting!!!” You are hoping by the time you reach your destination, that your military tactic of running the guidelines will some how stick! Only to remind yourself that these are little people and it’s probably going to be a bust within 20 minutes of your arrival; maybe 10 minutes!

Then you also decide perhaps to give yourself a mental pep talk! Yes, you will be saying “Sorry” more than often that not, demand time outs throughout the entire day and hope your little prayers are answered for that favorite inappropriate word that you giggle about at home………… isn’t said! 🙂

Nevertheless, you are going to have a good time and it’s about family, friends, family and all the food you like! For those next visits…….I have a little help for you!

You remember the book “The Sisters of Travelling Pants”, written by the beautiful Delia Ephron?

Well here’s another great book she has written called “Do I Have to Say Hello? Aunt Delia’s Manners Quiz for Kids and Their Grown Ups”

It has a quiz for you and your children, just to see what things to brush up on when venturing out amongst the world!

This delightful book shares her encounters with her nephew shown with funny illustration depictions by the famous Edward Koren; cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine.

The book doves into many scenarios; such as bubble gum, a bathroom wait, the playground and how to handle that horrible thing on a dinner plate!

The book is so much fun and can be easily shared with children. It’s doesn’t feel like a lesson; giving you a resource to have some really good results! You may find this may also be good for some grownups as well <you probably are thinking of a few people, right now!>.

Well I have to head back to the kitchen! Wishing everyone the best during the holidays! Happy Thanksgiving!! Enjoy!!!!

Table Manners Copyrighted Material (c)

Letia 🙂

Delia Ephron the daughter of screenwriters Phoebe and Henry Ephron. Her movies include You’ve Got Mail (starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Hanging Up (based on her novel), and Michael. She has written novels for adults (Hanging Up and the recent The Lion Is In) and teenagers (Frannie in Pieces and The Girl with the Mermaid Hair), books of humor, (How to Eat Like a Child), and essays. Her journalism has appeared in The New York Times, O the Oprah Magazine, Vogue and More, The Wall Street Journal, and The Huffington Post. In 2011 Ephron won an Athena Film Festival award for creativity and panache as a screenwriter.

Edward Koren has lifetime freelance relationship between Koren and The New Yorker. The magazine has published thousands of his cartoons and illustrations, including dozens of full-color drawings published on the magazine’s cover. He has also contributed to many other publications, including The New York Times, Newsweek, Time, GQ, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Vogue, Fortune, Vanity Fair, The Nation and The Boston Globe.

When you hurt, we hurt! I’m so heartbroken! Love to all Parisians at this time!

“Faced with terror, France has to be strong, she has to be grand. We also need to call everyone to be responsible. If these terrorists want to make us afraid, to fill us with fear. But while we are facing fear we are a nation that knows how to defend itself. We have not finished these operations. At this very moment the special forces have launched their attack on a place in Paris”.

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Adele transcends everything. 4 years waiting to hear from her and she gives a wonderful sneak peak of what’s in store, by releasing the first single off of her Adele 25 project!

“Hello” has become the first song to sell one million tracks in a week, the power of download. The beautiful, heart-wrenching ballad also debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart., where in a few weeks it will be available on Nov. 20.

YouTube is already filled with videos of fans singing the songs and a few artists already doing covers!

The Nov. 20 date has even caused some artists to change their album release dates, for the anticipated sales are going to go through the roof. 30 million sold from her last project, so the question is which way is Adele and her management going to go?

Allow the “25” album stream online or the old fashion way; releasing the CD? Anyway you look at it, she is going to win! By releasing the single without any heads up; was genius!! A smart young woman she is!

Adele also looks so amazing in the “Hello” in the monochrome video, I’d analyzed each of the scenes, the set design and how wonderfully I will from now on admire wind blowing! The vocals are amazing and the chorus is so heart felt, relatable.

25 is about knowing who I’ve become, without realizing it! I’m sorry it took so long, but you know life happened.

Fashionably, women will be looking for a faux fur coat, a simple plaid shirt and the longest eyelashes to put on! For this beautiful gal makes you want to just try!

So you know, Adele will be live in NYC on Nov. 17 and a TV debut of her smash hit “Hello” will air as part of an hour-long BBC special on Nov. 20. But a teaser from the taped performance is now out — and it’s worth a viewing.

The 27-year-old British songstress both sounds and looks stunning in the snippet, released Friday by BBC Music. It marks her first TV appearance since performing “Skyfall” during the 2013 Oscar ceremony.

Adele performing Hello

Adele, I will be waiting anxiously to hear your album and looking forward to travel where you are to here you live; like the last time in London! 🇬🇧

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Catching up with Lara Spencer! Not only seeing her daily on ABC’s Good Morning America @LaraSpencer; she’s has her passion for design! Since 2012, HGTV’s Flea Market Flip has been putting teams to the test. The test is to see their potential in a flea market find and refurbish to flip in order sell; based on their design visual!

A flea market search takes a bit of skill and you have to have a knack to haggle; but politely and you have to be willing to know your choice is doable for a flip on this show.

Teams of two perform a playful and strategic battle to win all the profits earned that day, the true winner will be the viewer at home, who will have a variety of exciting ideas to inspire them as they begin their next project around their own home!

Whether you are shabby chic, eclectic, retro, traditional or punk…your ideas for a flip are welcomed. The show is fun and gives you great ideas! Check your TV listings on HGTV to watch Flea Market Flip, visit your local flea market and have some fun; you never know what you might find! 🙂

Here’s more information on the Brooklyn Flea Market in NYC: BrooklynFlea.

Lara Spencer shared her other wise tips for a successful day at the sales:

9. No idea where to start? Spencer suggested first going to high-end antique shops first so when you’re hunting for bargains at the markets you’ll know when you’ve found a deal.

My tip: Is if the seller has a lot of big items, wait to closing and you will probably get a deal on the item you had your eyes on! There’s nothing worse than organizing to load up the truck when you don’t want to take it back!

Letia 🙂

I’d had the pleasure of meeting the beautiful Lara Spencer at a few Housing Works and Design On A Dime charitable events held in NYC. Lara has so many hats, a Mom, Producer and Director! She also is a writer, who parlayed a love of flea-market shopping into several books, the latest being “Flea Market Fabulous: Designing Gorgeous Rooms with Vintage Treasures,” released last year. She hosted “Antiques Roadshow” and ­created “Flea Market Flip” on HGTV and Great American Country and “I Brake for Yard Sales” on HGTV. Lara was named a co-host at “GMA” in April after serving as a lifestyle anchor for the popular morning show since 2011.